The Promise of Possibility
by sburke94
Summary: A Series of One Shots."If We Ever Meet Again..." responses
1. Like We Used To

**_If we ever say goodbye, I promise not to cry._**

**T**he broken clock was a comfort. It helped him sleep at night—what little he did sleep anyway. Ezra Fitz stared at the flashing red 12:00. Apparently, it'd been midnight for the better part of three days now. He groaned and rolled over onto his back, his gaze drifting towards the window. If the gray light outside was any indication, it was far closer to six than twelve. He'd have to get up soon, button himself into a suit, and make the twenty minute drive to Hollis College.

As he rolled out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom to shower, he couldn't help but muse on how twisted life really was. Not more than two weeks ago, he'd been thrilled to be starting his career as a collegiate professor. It meant better pay, better hours, and best of all, no more legal restrictions on his relationship with Aria. An exasperated snort escaped him. _There wasn't a relationship anymore._

The main reason Ezra had accepted the position, the only reason that'd really mattered didn't even exist at present. He hadn't even seen the breakup coming. They'd patched things up after the night of the disastrous faculty mixer. She'd come to him in the middle of the night, upset and crying, and very clearly shaken.

He hadn't asked questions. Instead, he'd wrapped her in his arms and held her close. Because that's what you did when you loved someone. You took care of them, put their needs before yours, and took on their problems as your own.

And then she'd left. Ezra had woken up alone in his bed, cold and angry that she'd disappeared without as much as a goodbye. There was no note, no missed phone call, not even a text. She'd gone, and had it not been for the scent of her upon his pillow, he would've wondered if she'd really ever been there at all.

He'd tried to get up with her, but she avoided him like the plague. Aria became the last to arrive for English, and the first to leave. She didn't answer his calls, his emails, or his text messages. Then, when on his last day at Rosewood she didn't even bother to show up for class, he cracked. He cornered Ella in the hallway and asked about Aria, just wanting, for his own sanity, to know she was okay.

Apparently, she was doing just fine. So he'd straightened himself up, pulled himself together, and packed his things. If she was through, then he was too. He'd gotten home that night after a few too many beers at the bar and found her waiting on his couch.

"I think we need to talk," she'd said.

He'd almost laughed—almost. "Oh, so know you're ready to talk? What about these past few weeks? Were you not ready then? I mean, jesus Aria. You can't just ignore your boyfriend for days on end because you don't feel like talking to him. Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

"You shouldn't have worried. I'm fine." She'd shifted on the couch, tugging her skirt down just a little lower.

"Clearly. So," he pulled of his shoes and sat down in the chair across from her, "what'd you want to talk about." Ezra had hated the callous note in his voice, and sometimes he wondered if he'd been just a little softer, just a bit more gentle, if she still would've ended things.

"I think we need to take a break."

"Yeah, I got that. The whole not speaking to me thing, you know? Anything else?"

She'd huffed and snatched her coat up off the couch. "I won't talk to you when you're like this."

"Well, who said I wanted to talk to you anyway?"

Her eyes flickered closed in pain and he reached for her, his warm hands pulling her towards him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

"I'll umm…I'll come back tomorrow, alright? We can talk then." She looked at him for a moment before leaving the apartment.

She never came back.

After that, he never really tried to find her. Maybe things were better this way—more painful—but better. She could be normal, and he could pretend that he wasn't in love with a sixteen year old. It was safer, easier, and…better.

And for several days he convinced himself that it was-although that easily could have been the lack of sleep and ridiculous amounts of alcohol speaking. His new students probably thought he was pathetic, but he couldn't bring himself to care. That was always what he told himself—he didn't care. So he _didn't care_ when he ran into her at the book store. He _didn't care_ when they bumped into one another on campus when she was visiting her dad. And he most certainly _didn't care _when found random pieces of her presence in his apartment—a scarf here, a book there, an old love letter tucked into some random corner.

That morning however, after he'd showered, buttoned into his suit, and headed for Hollis college, he couldn't _not care_ anymore. He made his usual stop for coffee when he saw her. She was sitting alone at a table, a blueberry muffin in front of her and an iced caramel latte in her hand. His gut clenched and he was sorely tempted to walk over to her—just to say hi, he told himself, just to hear her voice.

But then some guy came along, a bottle of water in his hand and large grin on his face. He'd leaned over to kiss her and she'd wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. The guy whispered in her ear and she laughed.

Ezra nearly cried. He'd used to make her laugh like that. Then she saw him, gave a sad smile and a tiny wave before turning back to whoever the guy was. She'd brushed him off as if he was nothing. Ezra didn't get his coffee. He left the shop without a backward glance, his pace rapid and his hands clenched into tight fists.

There'd be no tears, no cursed words, no angry violence. If she could act as if they'd never happened, as if they'd never mattered, then so could he. So could he…


	2. A Pretty Little Liar

_If we ever meet again, I promise to fight for you._

* * *

><p><strong>If she could act as if they'd never happened, as if they'd never mattered, then so could he. So could he…<strong>

Yeah, he couldn't. Ezra Fitz tried hard, tried really hard not to care. Maybe he had little moments of success, brief instances where he was able to forget the young girl with a passion for literature and lips that curved into the most seductively innocent smile he'd ever seen. Those moments usually happened when he was drunk.

He didn't see her again for almost a month after the brief run in at the coffee shop. Sometimes he'd hear of her, from her father, or on two occasions, Ella. _She was doing well_, they'd say, _she was happy all things considered._

Ezra flinched every time he heard that phrase, _all things considered._ There certainly were a lot of things to consider. Broken relationship aside, Aria still had far more shit dished out to her than any teen girl should've, than any person should've. She and her friends made the evening news quite frequently—apparently, they were now all suspects in the disappearance of Ian Thomas.

He found the accusations quite hilarious. Aria may have been a pretty little liar, and may have harbored some dark secrets, but she most certainly wasn't capable of kidnapping—or murder as the news anchor sometimes liked to suggest.

The protective alpha male in him wanted to shelter her, shield the young woman who'd wrenched his heart out of his chest and captured it within her tiny hands. It should've been him that she turned to, not some pubescent boy who was more concerned with what his next meal was going to be than her feelings. Yet, she'd made it quite clear that she didn't want him to do that. She didn't want him to do _anything. _

So he stayed away, avoided places she frequented often—which pretty much meant he was confined to his apartment…again. In those ways then, he was successful. He succeeded in making himself miserable in the hopes of keeping her happy.

Then one day Byron Montgomery invited to dinner, and he accepted. Ezra had cursed himself the moment 'yes' had flown from his mouth. "No," he wanted to shout, "no, I'm sorry but I can't." But he didn't, and one early December afternoon, he found himself seated at the Montgomery's dinner table.

Aria wasn't there, and for a brief few seconds the evening looked a bit brighter—or dimmer depending upon how he looked at it. If she wasn't going to be joining them, he could relax a bit; maybe even enjoy himself a little. But if she was, and judging by the layout of the table, she'd probably be sitting next to him, he could hear her voice, she her beautiful face, possibly even brush his hand against hers a few times—_accidentally _of course.

Then there was the sound of footsteps upon the stairs, a girlish giggle, and a deep male chuckle—apparently she was home after all.

"Sure you don't want to come babe?"

He turned to look at them as they paused by the front door. If the grin on her face was any indication, she hadn't noticed his presence yet.

"I'd love to, but I've been out with you every night this week. My parents are insisting I stay in and have dinner with them."

_The guy_ as Ezra had named him, smiled understandingly before leaning down to kiss her.

"Alright, call me tonight then?"

She grinned at him and Ezra felt his stomach churn. Aria was freaking beaming at the guy as if he was the sun. He was pretty sure she'd never looked at him like that, at least not in several weeks.

"Of course, and then tomorrow I'm all yours."

Ezra thought he was going to be sick.

Aria stretched up on her toes and wrapped her arms around _the guy's_ neck before giving him a long farewell kiss.

Now Ezra was _definitely _going to be sick—or hit something—whichever happened first. He cleared his throat, _unintentionally_ of course, and the two jumped apart. Some stupid part of him thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd be happy to see him. Maybe she'd missed him as much as he'd missed her.

Well, if the pissed off grimace on her face was any indication, she wasn't. He swallowed thickly and grappled for some excuse as to why he'd been standing there watching them. "I…ummm…your mom wanted me to tell you dinner's ready." Ezra shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away. _Real smooth_, he berated himself, _way to make yourself look like the biggest creep on the planet._

Luckily for him, his excuse hadn't been that far of a stretch. As he wandered into the dining, Ella was just setting a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. "Dinner's ready."

He forced an awkward smiled and sat down next to Byron. "Thanks Ella, this looks delicious."

Aria's mom smiled and sat down on the other side of Byron. "You're welcome. Did you happen to see Aria? I told her to come downstairs a few minutes ago."

"Yeah, she…uhh…she said she was coming." His hand clenched into a tight fist beneath the table. He really needed to get a grip. They'd begin to think something was up if he mumbled and fumbled his way through dinner.

Not five seconds later, Aria breezed in and took the seat next to him. "Sorry, I'm late. I was…"

"Saying goodbye to lover boy, we know."

Ezra nearly laughed at the bitter note in Mike's voice. Perhaps he wasn't the only one who had an intense dislike for Aria's new boyfriend.

"Shut up, Mike. You're just jealous because Karen dumped you." Aria scowled and spooned a lump of mashed potatoes onto her plate rather forcefully.

"Alright, guys. Can you two just be civil to one another for a night? We do have a guest."

Aria took a long sip of her water. "Oh, right, sorry. I'm being rude. How are you Mr. Fitz?"

Ezra cringed as she put a heavy emphasis on the Fitz. She sounded angry, and he knew it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge.

"Aria! What's gotten into you?" Ella seemed completely floored by her daughter's attitude. Then again, she wasn't exactly aware of the fact that Aria had been dating Ezra just two months prior.

"Mom, I…" Aria paused for moment rubbed her temple as if she had a headache. "I'm not feeling well. Do you think I could eat later? I kind of just want to go lay down."

Instantly, Ella seemed to cool off. "Of course. I'll save you a plate."

Aria smiled, and it was syrupy sweet and incredibly fake. "Thanks, Mom." She slid back her chair and fairly ran out of the dining room.

Ezra frowned and pushed a green bean around on his plate. This was definitely not going well. And then Bryon, completely obvious to the tension in the room, spoke. "So Ezra, how do you like Hollis?"

Hollis was safe. Hollis was neutral territory. Hollis was definitely not Aria.

Sometime later, as Ella did the dishes, Ezra excused himself to use the restroom. Third door on the right upstairs, Mike had said. Well music was blasting from the third door on the right, and when he opened it, Ezra realized it was absolutely not the bathroom. The thought that Mike had sent him to Aria's room on purpose briefly crossed his mind, but he shook it away. That was impossible, no one knew about their past relationship.

She was seated at her desk, fingers flying furiously over the laptop keyboard. She didn't seem to notice him, and for a few seconds he leaned against the doorjamb and watched her. She was breathtaking, even if she hated him.

"Did you want something?" Aria turned the music off and shot him a glare.

"I was looking for the bathroom, actually."

"Clearly this isn't one." She gave a harsh laughed and shut her laptop.

"Why do you hate me so much?" His words had been quiet and he glanced at her hesitantly as he whispered them.

She was quiet for a moment, and when she finally did speak her voice was rough. "I don't hate you, Ezra. It's just easier this way. I can pretend I don't know you as anything more than my old English teacher."

"But I'm not just an old English teacher."

She groaned. "Yeah, don't remind me."

Ezra took a deep breath and asked the one question he'd been dreading most, the one question that needed to be answered most. "Are you happy?"

She swallowed and looked at him. "I am."

He nodded slowly and glanced over his shoulder. "Okay then, that's all I wanted to know. I should probably go. Maybe I'll see you around sometime?"

She shrugged. "Maybe."

Ezra turned to go, shutting the door softly behind him. Aria wasn't being honest with him. He knew her too well. _But_, he sighed, _people didn't call her a pretty little liar for no reason_.


	3. A Little Hope

_If we ever meet again, I'm not leaving you a choice._

**E**zra Fitz wasn't cut out for emotional roller coasters. He preferred to be the stable one, the one constant thing in a sea of chaos. He liked the carousel. There were no surprises, no sudden jolts or drops that sent things spiraling out of control. But with Aria, he might as well have jumped to the front of the line, strapped himself into the first row of seats, and thrown his arms into the air as it made that first heart stopping plummet.

As one month became three, he stopped asking after her. He stopped holing up in his apartment. And on rare occasions, for the briefest moments of respite, he stopped thinking about Aria. To any outside viewer, it would've appeared that Ezra Fitz was moving on. Reality was, he was compensating. He traded the girl of his dreams for a mediocre job and a potential book deal. Most of the time, his life pretty much sucked.

Well, there was still Hardy, and there was still literature. He figured that counted for something. And he'd written more in the three months since his split from Aria than he had at any other point in time. Perhaps heartbreak was good for the soul. It seemed to translate into words fairly well at least.

Which was why he found himself venturing out on Valentine's Day, in a snowstorm no less, to purchase another notebook. Call him old fashioned, but Ezra liked to write things out first. Mistakes seemed less harsh scribbled in ink than they did underlined in red on the computer. Wal-Mart seemed incredibly crowded, brutally bright, and way too full of plush pink teddy bears and obnoxiously large boxes of candy to even entertain the notion of stopping in. So instead he opted for the more expensive option and drove halfway across town to visit the Barnes and Noble.

The parking lot was empty, only five or six cars. He parked, snapped up the hood on his sweatshirt, and sprinted into the building. It was warm and smelled of peppermint lattes and freshly printed books. He almost sighed from the perfection of it all.

A lone girl was working the counter, and she looked thoroughly pissed. He'd bet twenty bucks that she actually had someone to spend the evening with. She shot him a glare as he held the door open a tad too long, and he made a mental note not to ask her for help.

Angry check out girl aside, the bookstore was pretty empty. An elderly gentleman sat alone in the religion section, and there was a small boy playing with the train set in the children's corner while a woman, presumably his mother, thumbed through the self-help books.

He glanced down at his watch. It was only just after seven. The store was open until nine, and he planned on staying until he was kicked out. Hands shoved into his pockets, Ezra wandered towards the classics, his fingertips running thoughtfully over the spine of each book. _Moby Dick, Pride and Prejudice, Alice in Wonderland, War and Peace_—Ezra snorted, that was certainly one book he'd _never _read—_The Count of Monte Cristo, To Kill a Mockingbird. _His hand slackened as he touched the last book on the shelf. He wasn't certain if he'd ever be able to pick up a copy of that book again. That book was _her. _

"Excuse me?"

He jerked at the sound of her voice and glanced to his right. Sure enough, Aria was standing no more than a few feet away, her hands full of books.

"Could you hand me a copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird_?"

Ezra took a deep breath and took off his hood. She clearly hadn't realized it was him. "Sure, but don't you have three copies already."

She dropped her books, the stack landing with a tremendous thud upon the wooden floor. "Ez—Ezra? What are you doing here?"

He smiled and bent to help her pick up the scattered books. "Just looking. I figured I'd kill sometime here since I don't have anything better to do." Ezra handed the stack back to her and reached up to grab her a copy of _To Kill a Mockingbird. _"What about you? Surely you have plans for Valentine's Day?"

She shrugged and set the novels on a nearby table. "Nope. The girls all had dates though, so I figured I'd opt for the next best thing—books."

Ezra nodded, and wracked his brain for something intelligent to say. She already looked like she was ready to bolt, and he wasn't quite ready to say goodbye just yet. "So why the fourth copy of To Kill a Mockingbird?"

Aria visibly relaxed and leaned against the shelf. "Well I spilt coffee on the first, dropped the second into the bathtub when I was reading it the other night, and the third is your copy—clearly I can't read that one."

He frowned. "Why can't you read it?"

"Never mind. Forget I even said anything." She shifted uncomfortably and glanced over her shoulder. Ezra fought the urge to grab her arm, just so he could have her close for a few minutes longer. "What about you, no date tonight?"

He shook his head and pulled a copy of _The Grapes of Wrath_ off the shelf._ "_Nope, just me and Steinbeck tonight."

Aria giggled, and he felt the sound pierce his heart. _He'd made her laugh. _"Romantic."

Ezra shrugged. "I try." He wanted to ask her about Bryce, about why she wasn't with him, but he refrained. That was too personal, too painful of a topic.

"So, ummm…I should probably get going." Aria grabbed the stack of books, shifting them from arm to arm for a moment to keep them from falling.

"You could stay." He hated the eager note in his voice. Ezra was almost positive the question was borderline begging. "I'd like to hear about how things are going at school, and why on earth you're holding nine books right now."

She bit her lip nervously before attempting an uncertain smile. "Okay." The word came out in a whoosh of breath and Ezra grinned.

"Do you want to sit down somewhere?"

Aria nodded before plopping down on the floor and stretching her legs out in front of her.

Ezra laughed. "They do have chairs here, and several couches."

"The floor's good."

He arched his eyebrows and sat down across from her. "You're weird, you know that?"

"But you love me anyway." And for the shortest span of time, things were just like they used to be She grinned and instinctively reached for his hand. He laughed and laced his fingers lightly between hers.

Then it was over and she recoiled as if his touch had burned her. "Oh God. I'm sorry. I didn't mean…that is to say…I umm…" She tried to pull her hand away, but he kept a tight hold on it.

"Don't."

"Ezra, please." Her voice caught and he released her hand.

"Aria, can't we talk about this?" He glanced down at his lap and fiddled with the string on his hoodie. "My feelings haven't changed, and I-" Ezra looked up again. She was gone. "I miss you, Aria."

The words were whispered to the air, and to the stack of books she'd left beside him. He managed a laugh as he read the title of the first. _Getting Him Back: A Smart Girls Guide to Winning Mr. Right's Heart (Again)._

Perhaps Aria hadn't moved on quite as far as she thought she had. Ezra grinned and picked up the book, his steps quick as he made his way to the cash register. Twenty minutes later, he was curled up on his couch, reading all about how to win himself back.

* * *

><p>I'm not really sure how many more of these I'll be doing. There's really no plan. If you guys have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!<p> 


	4. Just One

_If we ever meet again, I'll only ask for one thing: kiss me. _

As it turned out, Ezra's copy of _Getting Him Back: A Smart Girls Guide to Winning Mr. Right's Heart (Again)_ wasn't all that helpful. Out of the five steps, he'd already done three.

1-He'd cooled things off for a while (Three months, 21 hours, and 13 minutes to be exact).

2—He'd found purpose in life again (if writing and copious amounts of scotch counted as purpose)

3—He'd made contact with her again (if her bolting minutes after running into him at a bookstore counted)

The last two honestly sounded stalker-ish and desperate. And although he was quite possibly both, Ezra Fitz refused to resort to sending her astronomical numbers of text messages and sending her flowers on a daily basis. That was a bit ridiculous, and way too expensive. Instead, he settled on a handwritten letter and a single cream colored rose, the tips of which were tinged with the duskiest of pinks. It was beautiful, simple, and so _them. _

Together, they'd never been people who needed some big fanfare or overpriced gifts to show affection for each other. Often, he'd bring her a flower or some short poem he'd jotted down in class. She'd do the same, though Aria's writing tended to border upon brazen, and sometimes outright wanton. But that's just how she was—blunt, up front, and straight to the point.

He hesitated when it came time to leave the letter and flower somewhere for her to find. The high school was clearly out of the question, and so was her home. Both were too risky, and the last thing he needed was Ella catching glimpse of him trying to woo her daughter. So after much debate, and several crumpled sheets of paper, Ezra slipped the letter and the rose beneath the windshield wiper of her car while it was parked outside of the gym.

The action seemed a little creepy, and by most standards it probably was. He'd chosen a Wednesday night to make his move. She took a yoga class from eight to nine, and by that point most other gym patrons had headed home. There was little chance of him being recognized, and little chance that she'd miss it.

She didn't. Exactly one hour and fourteen minutes later there was a sharp knock at his door, followed by the sound of a key turning in his lock. He really needed to remember to take the key out from under his mat—some girl could just let herself in.

Aria stepped in not two seconds later, her cheeks still flushed from her workout and his letter clutched tightly in her tiny hand. "Hi."

"Hey." Ezra swallowed and jumped up from the couch, wiping his sweaty palms over the denim of his jeans a few times. Briefly, he realized that he hadn't planned out anything beyond the letter, and he was at a loss as to what to do next. "I umm…I see you got my letter."

She nodded and set her keys on his kitchen table. "Yeah, I couldn't really miss it."

They stared awkwardly at each other for several minutes, until he finally moved to shut the door. "So…"

"So?"

"Your letter said you wanted to talk. What'd you want to talk about?"

Ezra rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at her sheepishly. "Well, I didn't really plan that far ahead. I just wanted to see you. Honestly, I didn't think you'd come."

"I almost didn't."

"Why did you then?"

Aria shrugged and sat down on the couch. "I don't know."

"Oh."

The little apartment was silent again, and he sank down beside her on the couch. "This is awkward."

Aria giggled then, and though the sound was a little rough, it made him grin. "Understatement of the year. God," she ran a hand through her hair and one leg beneath her, "we used to be able to talk about anything, and now we can't even put a sentence together." She smiled, and Ezra was glad to have her back—even if was under awkward circumstances.

"I know. I miss that." He reached over to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. "I miss you."

She sighed and looked at him sadly. "I miss you, too."

"Do you think maybe we could get coffee, just as friends? I mean, I'd like to have you back as my girlfriend, but I can handle friends—I think. You know, we could take thing slowly. We don't even have to get coffee, we could just hang out here or not. Whatever you want. But I want us to…I mean I'd like us to…"

Aria laughed and stilled his fingers where they'd been drumming out a small beat on his knees. "Ezra."

"I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm sorry, it's just…"

She grinned. "Ezra, shut up."

"Oh right." He looked at her, taking in the soft way her lashes rested against her cheeks, the warm curve of her lips, and the tiny freckle just above the curve of her chin on the left side of her face. A warm sigh escaped him, and unconsciously leaned closer, his hand brushing her jaw line.

"Kiss me." Her request was whispered, and for several long seconds, he wondered if he'd merely imagined it. But then she tilted her mouth towards his, and her eyes fluttered closed in expectation.

Ezra let out a shaky breath. He felt like a teenage boy all over again, just trying to win the heart of the prettiest girl in the class. Slowly, painstakingly slowly, he lowered his lips to hers. _Just one kiss_, he told himself, _just one_.

One turned into two, and then two into five, and then after that he lost count.

"Wow." Aria pulled away with a little groan. "Do you treat all your friends like that?"

He grinned and leaned forward again, one arm sliding around her waist. "Only the ones I'm in love with."

She smiled and traced a small pattern on his shoulder. "I think we should slow down."

He nodded regretfully. "We should."

Abruptly, she stood up and gathered her things. "I think I need to leave. We both know that if I don't, we won't stop."

"Or you could stay."

She shook her head. "I can't. But I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. _This was not ending well. _

"Oh, and Ezra? That book, you know the one about winning a guy back? I was getting it to use on you."

And with that she was gone, the soft squeak of her sneakers the only sound in the darkened hallway.

He laughed and shut his door, resisting the strong urge to give a little fist pump. _Yeah, it was definitely a mission success. _


	5. Coffee Dates

_If we ever meet again, I seriously might spontaneously combust if you don't agree to give me another chance. _

Mission success turned into mission impossible within a matter of days. It was as if she'd dropped off the planet following her visit to his apartment. There were no text messages, no phone calls, no emails. And he checked—compulsively—so compulsively that a student asked if his blackberry was his new religion. Yet still, there was nothing.

But after taking the first desperate action, Ezra was determined to let her make the next move. The ball, or rather his heart, was in her court. If Aria chose to take the shot, he hoped it was in the right direction. If she didn't, or if she missed, Ezra was quite certain he'd combust from the tragedy of it all. It wasn't just an affirmation of feelings he was waiting on, it was his future.

So he waited and waited and waited. He wrote and wrote and wrote—to take his mind off her, he rationalized—of course it didn't really help that he was writing _about _her. He did give up drinking though—trading his scotch for an even more ridiculous amount of caffeine.

Then, one unsuspecting, unassuming Wednesday afternoon, she came to him. He was still in his classroom at the college, shuffling through various half-ass attempts at an analysis of Ernest Hemingway's _For Whom the Bell Tolls. _ The click of the door as it opened didn't startle him—students had been coming in and out all day—and he sighed before giving the same speech he'd been repeating since eight in the morning.

"You'll have to come back. My office hours are from…"

"Five-thirty to seven, I know. But my dad's leaving at five, and he's my ride home." She smiled softly as he lifted his head to look at her, first a grin then a frown curving on his lips.

"You didn't call me."

She bit her lip and paused in front of his desk, one finger trailing lightly along the grain of the wood. "I know, and I'm sorry. It's just…"

"Just what, Aria? This isn't a game." Beneath his desk, his hands clenched into fists and he fought to keep control of his temper.

"You think I don't know that? I panicked, alright? I panicked after I left your apartment because I'm not sure if I can handle it all again."

Ezra furrowed his brow and slid his chair back. "Handle what?"

"The sneaking around, and the lying to my parents, having to count to fifty, having to worry about Jackie. I just don't think I can."

He nodded in understanding. He felt the same. "So you don't. We don't. We go forward—openly. No secrets. No hiding."

Aria walked around the desk, moving perch on the edge of his desk. "Really? You'd do that?"

He smiled. "I'd do anything for you. But you have give too Aria, this isn't a one person relationship."

She nodded and took his hand slowly. "I know that."

They looked at each other uncertainly for a moment, before Ezra spoke. "So are you really just here because you're waiting for your dad?"

Aria shook her head. "No." She ran a hand through her hair and crossed one leg over the other. Ezra gulped—clearly she'd come to play games. "I came to ask you on a date."

He arched an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah," she giggled and tugged his chair closer with one foot. "I was thinking me and you and coffee at eight? You know that little café two blocks from your apartment?"

"Sounds perfect." He leaned forward and kissed her teasingly. If she wanted to play so could he. "But you're buying."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Deal." Her lips met his briefly and then she was gone, her heels clicking lightly against the linoleum floor of the classroom. She turned just before shutting the door behind her, a little smile on her lips. "Don't stand me up."

…**ooo00ooo…**

He didn't. At 7:45 Ezra was already seated at a small table near the door, right foot tapping nervously and left hand clutching his cell phone. The fifteen minutes until the clock marked eight were the longest of his life, and at 8:01 when she breezed in the door, smiling and shaking rain droplets from her wet jacket, he let out a sigh he hadn't realized he'd been holding. She'd actually come.

For all his playful mannerisms earlier in the evening, he'd honestly been terrified that she'd be the one doing the standing up—not the other way around.

"It's pouring out there!" Aria laughed and slid into the seat next to him. "Have you been waiting long?"

He shook his head. "Nope, just got here." So that wasn't entirely the truth, but he figured if he told her he'd been waiting for almost twenty minutes she'd think him some kind of fool. Ezra grinned and brushed a wet curl from her forehead. "You look beautiful."

She blushed and glanced away. "Umm—thanks."

A brief frown crossed his features. It wasn't like her to be shy, and her demeanor now was a far cry from the bold, demanding girl who'd breezed into his office that afternoon. "Is something wrong, Aria?"

"No." She jumped up abruptly and grabbed her wallet from her purse. "What do you want? I think I'm just getting a smoothie, you know it's kind of late for coffee…maybe this wasn't the best idea."

Her words were rapid and jumbled, the statements making little sense.

"Whoa, slow down." He reached for her hand. "I'll have whatever you're having." A small smile curved on his lips. "And tonight was a great idea. I've missed you."

Aria visibly relaxed and nodded slowly. "Two strawberry-mango smoothies it is." She leaned down and kissed his cheek softly. "Thank you."

His brow furrowed. "For what?"

She exhaled slowly. "For being your incredible self."

"Ah." He released her hand. "You're welcome then."

Five minutes later she returned with the two drinks and a few napkins. "They're staring at us."

Ezra scanned the coffee shop. No one looked familiar, and no one seemed particularly interested in the two of them. "Who?"

"Those two girls working the cash register." She inclined her head in their direction before sitting down beside him again.

"So?"

"So, they go to Rosewood."

"Friends of yours?"

Aria licked a bit of mango from her straw. "No, just acquaintances."

"Then why does it matter what they think?" He took a long sip of his smoothie before settling an arm across the back of her chair, his fingers pausing to toy gently with the curls laying on her shoulder.

"It matters because all of the school will know we've been out together by first period." She looked away from him and groaned quietly. "This was a terrible idea."

"Hey," he tipped her gaze back towards his with two fingers beneath her chin, "Aria we're not doing anything wrong. We wanted this remember?"

"Wanted—as in the past tense. Maybe I don't want this now."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, you do. If you want, we can go, but I don't think running away is going to solve anything. So the town talks for a few days? Then what? It's Rosewood, Aria. There'll be some new scandal before week's end."

She giggled. "Yeah, you're right." Her free hand found his, their fingers locking together naturally. "I'm glad we're fixing things, Ezra."

He grinned and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Me too, Aria. Me too."


End file.
